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International dimension of centres of vocational excellence

Going global with the ETF’s Network for Excellence?

In November 2021, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and the European Training Foundation (ETF) signed an agreement for the implementation of the project ‘The international dimension of centres of vocational excellence: Building a strong international cooperation dimension on excellence’. This project builds on the work of the ETF’s Network for Excellence, a network of centres of vocational excellence launched in 2020.

The two-year project (2022–23) is part of the European Union’s strategy to make centres of vocational excellence an engine for the development of vocational excellence. Involving a wide range of local stakeholders, businesses and other actors, the project encourages centres of vocational excellence:

  • to work together and share their practices internationally;
  • to help improve the attractiveness and relevance of vocational education and training;
  • to collectively steer local and regional skills ecosystems and ensure they contribute to today’s priorities – the digital and green transitions, in particular.

What are the project work areas?

  1. Developing an international self-assessment tool for centres of vocational excellence to measure what defines vocational excellence
  2. Exploring the feasibility of creating a quality label for vocational excellence
  3. Conducting studies on how centres of vocational excellence support the EU’s digital and green transition objectives, as well as assessing their contribution to innovation and applied research
  4. Carrying out policy advice and capacity-building activities

More information on ETF Open Space

The international dimension of centres of vocational excellence